Electric switch



Dec. 30, 1 24 1,520,847 J. H. BARTHOLOMEW ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 17, 1925 Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,520,847 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. IBIABTHOLO'MEW RAYMOND ASSIGNOBS .TO THE CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE & ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCOB PORATED, OE MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT,

H. BOARDMAN, OF CONNECTICUT,

L CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application'iiled July 17, 1923. Serial No. 652,048.

manufacture, easy to assemble, of sturdy construction, and which will not easily get out oforder. I

In the drawings, which show, for illustra tive purposes only, preferred forms of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a front view of the assembled switch; I

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereoi';

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectioii through the switch shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail;

Fig. 5 is a side view in partial section of a modified form of switch.

In said drawings:

1 indicates a body preferably of insulating material and having a passage 2 therethrough. The front of the passage may be closed by any suitable or conventional form of face plate secured to the housing or body 1 as by means of screws H. The switch may be secured to a wall or other suitable support by means of screws 5-5 passin through suitable apertures in the face pate.

At the rear of the body 1, two or more fixed contacts 6-? may be attached as by means of screws 8-9, which may also serve as binding posts for the fixed contacts. In thepreferred form shown, the fixed contacts are formed of resilient metal having one end secured by means of the screws 8- .3, while the free spring ends extend up into the passage 2. v

Across the rearend of the body is a cross bar 10 having an aperture'therein. The cross bar-may be secured to the "body by means of screws 1 111 which may serve as binding posts for the movable contact to be later described. lnthe preferred form -herein disclosed, a guide tube 12! passes through the aperture in the-cross bar 10, and

. a shoulder thereon abuts one side of the ban A bushing or thimble 15 is passed over the inner end of the guide" tube 12, and the extreme end of the latter is beaded over as at 14 for the purpose of holding the guide tube rigidly tothe cross bar 10. A movable contact 15 is secured to the inner end of a guide pin 16, which is slidably mounted in the guide tube 12 and is constrained thereby to move in a straight line. .In the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 3, the movable'contact has upwardly extending wings or fingers 1717which define a depression or groove therebetween for a purpose tobe later described. A spring 18 may be interposed between the cross bar 10 and the movable contact 15 for urging the latter forwardly.

19 indicates generally a bridging contact member'for bridging the space between the fixed and mbvable contacts for closingthe circuit between either of the fixed contacts and the movable contact. As herein shown, the bridging'contact is mounted on the inner end of an operating lever 20. This lever is pivotally mounted in the body as by means of a pivot pin 21, extending through the lever and seated in suitable bearings or depressions such as 22 in the body. The operating lever is preferably flat, as will be seen from Fig. 1, and the face plate 3 has a suitable opening 23 for the passage of the flat operating lever. The outer end of the lever may be provided with'a finger piece 24% for convenience in operation and to give a finished appearance. The inner end of the lever 20 may have an aperture therethrough in which is fitted a bushing 25 of insulating material. A pin 26 extends through the bushing. The .metallic bridgin members 27-28 aremounted on t e pin 26, and in the form shown the ehd of the pin 26 is riveted over on the bridging member 28 and serves to secure both members 27 and 28 to the end or" the operating lever. In

contact All other features in that form are the same as have been previously described.-

The operation of the switch is as follows: Referring to Fig. 3, if the end 24 of the operating "lever is moved downwardly as viewed in that figure, the bridging contact 19 rides up along the end 17 of the movable contact 15 and depresses the same against the compression sprin 18. When the bridging contact 19 is at a ut the top of the finger 17,,the spring 18, tending to force the finger 17 upwardly, throws the bridging contact upwardly as viewed in Fig.

3 with a snap action, and moves the same to the osition indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. 1en it is desired to open the circuit, the finger piece 24 is moved to the full line position shown in Fig. 3, when the brid mg contact will be held between the en s 17-17 and the circuit will be opened. When it is desired to close the circuit between the fixed contact 7 and the movable contact 15, the operating lever is moved in ,a direction opposite to that just described,

and the operation will be the same as above set forth.

In the form shown in 3, the circuit closing bridging member is in a neutral or 6 'instead of providin off position as indicated b solid lines;

whereas in the form shown in Fig. 5, the

circuit closing element 19 will'not stand .in

the-position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3, by reason thatiit travels over a convex face only. The form shown in Fi 3 is adapted to control two different clrcuits,

with an ofl position between the same.

The form shown in Fig. 5 is adapted to control one or the other of two circuits, but

binding-post 9,. on y one circuit may be provided through the binding post 8, in which event, when the position of the circuit closing element 19 is reversed from that shown in Fig. 5, the circuit will be broken.

In all forms, it will observedthat the circult closing element moves .with a snap action, which is desirable in many cases.

,contactmemper with a' snap action.

a movable contact member constrained to move in a straight line, a fixed contact, an operating) body, a ridging contact member mounted on said operating lever and insulated there from for bridging said fixed; and movable contacts, and means associated with said movable contact for moving said bridging 1 fixed contact mem contact secured tov said 0 a circuit through the.

vsulatin .throug a resilientl mounte bod I and constrained lever pivotally mounted on said' 2. In an electric switch, a body of insulatin material having. a passa e thenethroug a bar at one end of said ody and having a guide opening therein, a movable contactmember reciprocable in a straight line in said guide member, a fixed contact member on said body, a bridging contact for connecting said fixed and movable contacts, and an operating lever ivotally mounted on said body and secured to said bridging contact. 1

3. In an electric switch, a body of insulating material, a bar across one end of said bod and having an openin therein, a movable contact member'slidab e in said opening and constrained thereby to move in a strai ht line, a spring interposed between sai movable contact and said bar, a fixed contact member, an operatinglever pivotally mounted on said body and having a bridging contact. member 'directly connected thereto for bridging said fixed and movable contacts, said spring serving to throwsaid bridging contact with a snap action.

4. In an electric switch, a bod y of insulatin material having a passage therethroug a bar across one end of said passa e and havin an aperture therein, a guide tu passing t rough said aperture and rigidly secured to said bar, a movable contact member havin a part reciprocable in said guide tube an constrained thereby to move in a straight line, a springfor urging said movable contact in one direction, a r, an operating'lever pivotally mounted on said body, a bridgin rating lever an serving to bridge said xed and movable contacts, said spring serving to .throw said 106 bridging contact with a snap action. 5. In an electric switch, a body of inmaterial having a assage thered movable contact member in sai to move in astraight line, a pair of fixed contacts mounted on said body at opposite sides of said movable contact, an operating lever mounted on said body, a bridging contact mounted 'on said operating lever and 116 serving 'to bridge the space between either of said fixed contacts and said movablecontact.

*6. In' an electric, switch, a body'of' insulatin anaterial having a' passage there- 120 throug a movable contact member in said body, a fixed "contact in said body, an operating lever pivotally mounted on said body/a bridging contact rigidly secured to and movable with said operating level,

means for insulating said operating lever and saidbridging contact, said bridging contact seryin'g to close the circuit between said fixed and movable contacts.

7.Inanelectric switch, a body of inneeoeev sulating material having a passage therein,

a bar across one end of said passage and having an aperture therethrough, a guide tube passing through said aperture, a thimble about one end of said guidetube, said guide tube being beaded over said thimble to hold the guide tube in position on saidbridge said fixed and movable contacts.

8. In an electric switch, a main body, two fixed contacts carried thereby, a third contact intermediate the first/two and including a longitudinally movable plunger, a spring for projecting. said plunger, a circuit closing element comprising a bridging member, a pivotally mounted lever carrying said bridging member to move the latter transversely across the path of reciprocation of said plunger and to bridge the space between said plunger and either one of said fixed contacts, said plunger operating to yieldingly hold said bridging member in circuit closing position, the end of said plunger having a recessed portion to hold said bridging member in a neutral or off position.

JAS. H. BARTHOLOMEWL RAYMQND H. BOARDMAN. 

